The Best Friend Swap
by clslovegood47
Summary: Adrien suggests that he and Marinette spend a day with each other's best friends. What could go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for choosing to read "The Best Friend Swap".

Any comments are greatly appreciated. They fuel my need to keep writing about these wonderful, lovesick dorks.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Five years ago, Adrien Agreste's life shattered into a million pieces. The final battle with Hawkmoth had been intense. Every miraculous had a holder, and Ladybug valiantly led her team to victory. However, in the end, it turned into a battle between the original dynamic duo and the villain they sought to defeat. The rest of the heroes defended the perimeter against an onslaught of Akumas and Sentimonsters. After hours of fighting, Ladybug finally ripped the Butterfly Miraculous off of Hawkmoth. When the light faded to reveal a seething Gabriel Agreste, Chat broke.

To this day, Marinette can still hear the anguished scream that came from Chat Noir as he collapsed into a heap on the ground. She remembers holding the shaking boy as he begged for it to be nothing more than a horrible nightmare. That was the day she learned that her "Chaton" was Adrien.

When Chat's mask melted away, Gabriel crumbled, as well. During the battle, they had fought each other viciously. At that moment, both Agrestes were inconsolable. Ladybug simply held Adrien as he and his father came to terms with their new reality.

By the time the tears subsided, Ladybug's mask was long gone. As Adrien's eyes met Marinette's, she could see a small spark of hope reignite within him. They sat together, huddling in the cold. They were exposed in more ways than one, but at that moment all that mattered was each other.

From then on, Marinette and Adrien were an inseparable pair. They walked hand in hand down the winding road of recovery. With each new struggle Adrien encountered, Marinette could be found supporting him in every way she could. It wasn't long before their mutual feelings led them to become a couple. They became each other's strength and solace.

As painful as it was, Adrien decided that he wanted his father to remain a part of his life, and Marinette respected his choice. At the time, Hawkmoth simply disappeared. Paris knew none the wiser, and it gave the Agreste family the space it needed to heal.

Years passed, and many things became easier. Unfortunately, nature abhors a vacuum, so the void created by the absence of Akumas gave rise to a new conflict. Gabriel and Adrien began to work closely to find a cure for Mrs. Agreste's condition; however, after a tragic mistake during their quest, the Butterfly Miraculous once again fell into the wrong hands. Shortly after, a new, more ruthless Hawkmoth rose to infamy.

Today, Ladybug and Chat Noir still fight side-by-side, their bond stronger than before the reveal. However, the secret of their identities no longer belonged exclusively to each other and Gabriel Agreste. Through Ladybug's leadership, Paris' team of heroes formed a bond of mutual trust. She brought them together just as King Arthur assembled his knights at the round table. To Ladybug, the other holders were not her subordinates; instead, they were equals in her eyes. They knew one another in and out of the masks, rendering them a formidable team against the destruction left in the wake of the city's new supervillain.

Even though Ladybug had a battalion of superheroes at her disposal, she still preferred the company of her beloved Chaton. He is, was, and forever will be her partner-they were balanced in every way.

They listened to each other, so when Marinette suggested that Adrien try going to therapy, he complied. He worked hard with his therapist to not only heal his relationship with his father but to strengthen his friendships with others, as well. So, when Adrien suggested that he and Marinette spend time with the other person's best friend, she was not surprised.

"Think about it, Bugaboo. How well do you know Nino?" he asked, taking a seat next to her on the living room couch in his apartment.

Marinette cleared her throat. "Uhm...we went to school together when we were little, but I didn't start hanging out with him until you and Alya came along."

Adrien nodded his head. "And I don't know Alya outside of our double dates and...well...I guess we also spend time together when we...you know…"

She offered him a sideways glance. "Become magical superheroes who save Paris from destruction every week?"

He smiled and clapped his hands together. "Yes! That. When we do that."

"Okay...let me get this straight. You want me to spend a day alone with Nino, and you want to spend a day alone with Alya. Did I get that right?"

"That's what I am proposing, yes."

Marinette scooted closer to her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his torso. "I like it."

Adrien grinned, looped his arms around her tiny form, and pressed her into his chest. "You do?"

She giggled and craned her neck towards his face. Marinette gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. "Yes, Chaton. I think it's a wonderful idea. When were you planning on putting this little plan into action?"

"I was kind of hoping we could do it this Saturday."

"Wow...that soon, huh? I'll have to see if they're available."

"I may have already talked to Nino...and he agreed. He and I already came up with activities to do with both of you."

Marinette laughed. "Awww! That's so cute, Minou! _Of course_, you would already have something planned."

Adrien nuzzled the top of her head. "I felt like you and Alya deserved to have a good time if we decided to do this."

She pulled away and gazed into her boyfriend's eyes. The look of sincerity on his face melted Marinette's heart.

"Come here, Chaton," she whispered.

Adrien smiled and bit his lip as he slowly closed the gap between them. Even though they had kissed hundreds of times throughout their relationship, Marinette still experienced an explosion of warmth and happiness when their lips met. She may be twenty-five now, but every time Adrien showed her this kind of affection, she turned into the blushing schoolgirl she once was years ago.

"Do you know how much I love you?" he said, finally pulling away.

She lightly pressed his nose with her index finger. "Not as much as I love you."

They allowed their noses to touch as they stared into each other's eyes and laughed. Marinette started to lean in for another kiss when a small, gravelly voice interrupted.

"Excuse me, but what are Tikki and I supposed to do all day while you two are off galavanting with other people?" Plagg complained, zooming into view.

"For you, it's not going to be any different than a day that Marinette and I spend together," Adrien responded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Plagg," Marinette began, "you do realize that Adrien will be spending the day with Alya right?"

"So?" Plagg retorted.

"_So_...I thought you would be excited to spend the day with Trixx," Marinette shrugged.

The Kwami's eyes grew wide and he turned towards his holder. "Wait...you mean to tell me that Wayzz and Tikki won't be coming with us?"

"No, Plagg. That's the whole point. It will be Alya and I together while Nino and Marinette do something else," Adrien explained with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Tikki flew over and joined the conversation. "Plagg, I know what you're thinking, and you are expected to be on your best behavior. We can't have a repeat of last time."

Marinette shot her Kwami a concerned look. "What _exactly_ do you mean by 'last time'?"

The tiny red being glared at her counterpart. "When Plagg and Trixx are alone together, they tend to get a little carried away. Have you ever heard of a place called Pompeii?"

Adrien buried his face in his hands and sighed deeply. "I know there's a story there, but I really don't want to know what happened."

"Yes, same," Marinette agreed, "Especially after the time you told us what happened to the lost city of Atlantis."

The pair looked at each other and shuddered.

"It still gives me nightmares," she whispered into Adrien's ear.

"I know, Princess," he said, lightly kissing the top of her head, "Me, too."

"Jeez, you two are _dramatic_," Plagg noted while rolling his eyes.

"Are we though?" Adrien asked, "When you and Tikki told us that one of our 'yet to be unlocked' powers was telepathic communication with our Kwamis, maybe you two should not have led with that specific memory."

Plagg poked Adrien in the chest with his paw. "It was meant to teach you a lesson."

His chosen crossed his arms. "Never trust a floating, black cat who claims to have the ability to solve a rodent problem with magic?"

Marinette elbowed Adrien in the side, eliciting a soft "hey" from her boyfriend.

"They wanted us to learn that even when we have the best intentions, things can still go wrong," Marinette stated plainly, "and my Miraculous Magic won't always be there to clean up the mess."

Adrien reached his arms around Marinette, pulling her back into his embrace. "I know, but you and I can overcome any obstacle as long as we're together."

"If that's the case, are you sure you want to spend a _whole day_ apart, kitty?" she asked with a teasing lilt to her voice.

"I think we'll manage," he said, pulling her even closer, "Besides, it'll be fun."

"Yeah," Plagg cackled, "especially considering we'll be leaving behind Captain Buzzkill and Lord Limp Noodle for the day."

Tikki flew over to her counterpart and swatted at his arm. "Don't talk about Wayzz that way!"

Plagg stuck out his tongue. "You are proving my point, _Captain Buzzkill_."

"You are irritating. I think I prefer 'Sugarcube'."

"But you still love me..._Sugarcube_."

The red Kwami softened her expression "And I always will, _Stinky Sock_. However, that doesn't change the fact that you and Trixx need to be careful. I'm sure Marinette and Adrien would appreciate it if Paris was still in one piece by the end of the day."

"Now that's not fair. We were young back then. I've learned to control my powers...kind of...and I'm sure Trixx has, as well. I only broke half of Paris when Ladybug and I fought Style Queen all those years ago. I'd say that's a big improvement."

"I'm still not completely convinced."

"Do you really think I'd do anything to mess up their day on purpose?"

"Need I remind you of the Great Molasses Flood in Boston?"

"Ah, yes...the Boston Molassacre," Plagg stared fondly into the distance before snapping himself out of his reverie, "Okay, you got me, but that was _one _time...and it was hilarious. People in the United States are still laughing about it today."

"People _DIED_, Plagg!" Tikki retorted, "And what about the Great Emu War of 1932?"

"Don't peg that one on me! That was all Trixx, and Australia was still in one piece when it was over."

"You _definitely_ didn't help when you encouraged her to make everyone believe that they saw millions of emus that weren't there."

"There were still a ton of emus that _were actually _there."

"That's not the point, Plagg!"

Marinette plucked her Kwami out of the air and cupped Tikki in her hands. "How about we all promise to be on our best behavior on Saturday. None of us will do anything reckless," she turned to Plagg, "or destructive. Agreed?"

The black Kwami groaned. "Ugh! Fine."

Adrien poked him. "And I will be making sure that he follows through on that promise."

Marinette laughed. "Thanks, kitty. I'll be sure to talk to Alya about Trixx; however, I'm pretty sure she can handle anything her Kwami throws at her."

"Thanks, Bugaboo," Adrien gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I know it will be a fun day...especially since you've got it all planned out!"

He scratched behind his neck and released a nervous chuckle. "That's what I'm hoping for!"

* * *

Adrien awoke on Saturday morning in a panicked sweat. He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. Today was quite possibly the most important day of his life.

"Good morning, lover boy!" Plagg teased with a cackle.

The disgruntled blond buried his face in his hands. "I can't do this, Plagg!"

"Don't you dare feed me that nonsense! You have been head over heels since the day you met the girl. You are doing this, kid."

"What if I forget what I'm going to say? Marinette will think I'm weird. She's going to hate me and never want to be with me again. She'll quit working for my dad's company and cut off all connections to me. Then, I'll never see her again, and I'll be alone forever...FOREVER, PLAGG! Do you know how long _forever _is?"

"Look at me, Adrien." Plagg used his paw to lift his chosen's head by the chin. "You seem to be forgetting what your little bug was like before she knew you were Chat Noir. The girl could barely string two words together when she tried to have a conversation with you. She loves you. I don't think I've ever seen two people love each other more than you and Marinette in all my years of existence. So, yes, to answer your question, I _do know _how long forever is."

"But…"

Plagg cut him off. "No! No 'buts'. I know how important this day is not only for you but for everyone involved. I am going to do everything in my power to help you pull this off."

Adrien took a deep breath. "Thank you, Plagg. I can always count on you."

"Now, my first act of service for the day is to tell you to go take a shower. You may still be a model and the future CEO of _Gabriel_, but you smell like a two-day-old cheeseburger that got left inside a hot car."

"Well, I was kind of nervous last night. I guess I did sweat a little."

"A little! Your perspiration created a new tributary to the Seine in your bed sheets. Get clean, and go get your girl."

Adrien laughed and shook his head. He threw back his covers and walked into the bathroom. After a half hour, he was showered, dressed, and ready to go. He checked his pocket to make sure he had _everything_ he needed.

"_It's there_," he thought to himself, "_There's no turning back now, Agreste._"

Adrien walked over to the mirror, fixed his hair one last time, and walked out the door. As he stepped into the cold, damp November air, he felt the reality of the day hit him once again. Remembering Plagg's words, he shook off his apprehension and continued on his journey.

Both couples agreed to meet at a cafe before splitting off into pairs for the rest of the day. Upon entering, Adrien saw Nino, Alya, and Marinette happily chatting at a table near the window.

"About time you showed up, Sunshine! I was starting to think that my date bailed on me!" Alya said jokingly.

Adrien laughed nervously and offered her a tense smile. "No, I'm here! Sorry for making you worry."

Marinette got up from her seat and walked over to her boyfriend. She touched his cheek and gave him a worried look.

"What's wrong, Minou?" she whispered into his ear.

He shook his head. "Nothing. Why would you think something is wrong?"

"Please don't lie to me. You're acting strange...well, stranger than you usually do."

"Bugaboo, I'm okay. _Really_...I promise that I'm fine. Maybe I'm a little tired."

"Are you still up for today? I can tell Nino and Alya that we need to go. Then, we can go to your place and cuddle for the rest of the day."

Adrien could feel his confidence growing. He bit his lip and shot her his signature "Chat Noir" grin.

"As tempting as that sounds, Princess, we already have plans for today, and I would hate to let down our friends. However, maybe we could move those cuddling plans to later. It sounds like a _paw-some_ way to spend our evening together," he purred into her ear.

She giggled and gave him a small peck on the lips. "There's my flirty kitty."

"Hey!" Alya called over to them, "Excuse me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but I believe Mr. Model is _my _date for the day. You can have him back when I'm done."

Marinette turned to her best friend, scrunched her nose, stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, very mature," Alya said rolling her eyes.

Adrien took Marinette by the hand and led her back to the table. He pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit down before taking his seat. He then grabbed her hand under the table and gently stroked her knuckles with his thumb.

"I expect to get the same kind of chivalrous treatment today, Agreste," Alya said with a light chuckle.

"Am I not good enough for you?" Nino retorted, feigning hurt.

"You are perfect for me," Alya responded, "However, it's not every day I get to spend time with a living breathing protagonist of a romance. He's like dessert. It's nice to have every once in a while, but not all the time."

Marinette laughed and poked Adrien with her elbow. "I guess it's a good thing I have a sweet tooth then! I'm always up for dessert."

Adrien could feel his insides turning to mush. He loved Marinette so much that it hurt. She wasn't just his world-she was the center of his universe. Like a black hole, she was both beautiful and dangerous. It was scary how easy it was to love her. Nonetheless, he happily allowed himself to get caught in her gravitational pull. She was an enigmatic force of nature, and he felt privileged to be a part of her life.

He leaned over and allowed their noses to touch. From their point of contact, he felt a blossoming of warmth that created an involuntary smile on his face. He sighed happily.

"Sometimes I forget how perfect you two are for each other, and then I see you do stuff like that," Alya remarked.

"As much fun as all of this is to watch, don't we have a schedule to keep? If I'm correct, Marinette and I have an activity starting soon," Nino said, giving his best friend a wide-eyed look.

Adrien looked at the time on his phone. "Oh jeez, yeah you do. My first activity with Alya doesn't start for another hour, but you two need to get going."

Marinette stood up without letting go of her boyfriend's hand. He got up, as well, and pulled her into a loving embrace.

Adrien pulled away and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. "Have fun today, Princess. I will see you later when we all meet up for dinner."

"You have fun, too, kitty. I love you." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you, too...so much," he said, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

Behind them, Alya gave Nino a lingering kiss goodbye. She whispered something into his ear and flicked his hat. He responded with a laugh and kissed her again before moving next to Marinette.

"Are you ready?" he said with a cheerful expression.

"Yup!" Marinette responded, "Let's get to it!"

Nino and "date for the day" waved to their significant others, turned towards the door, and walked out of the cafe. Once the pair turned the corner, Adrien and Alya returned to the table.

"So, Agreste," Alya smirked, "Nino told me that you already have everything planned. What kind of fun are we going to have today?"

Adrien breathed out deeply and gave Alya a serious look. "I have to tell you something. You have not been told the whole truth about the nature of today's events. Nino knows, but I had to keep you in the dark until now...for...reasons."

Alya raised her right eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Uhm...yes. I'm sorry if you were expecting to have fun today, but you're actually here because I need your help."

"Okay...how about you tell me what's going on, and we'll start from there."

Adrien pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket and put it on the table. He opened it, revealing a white gold ring with three princess cut diamonds in the middle.

Alya's eyes grew wide. She gasped and her hands flew up to cover her mouth.

"How could you possibly think that _this _wasn't going to be fun?!" she exclaimed, "This is going to be _THE MOST FUN_."


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for continuing to read "The Best Friend Swap".

I appreciate all of your lovely comments that were left on Chapter 1. Thank you so much for reading and being awesome! Comments are always appreciated.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

"Alright, pretty boy," Alya speared a piece of her crepe with a fork, "how do you plan on sweeping my best friend off of her feet?"

Adrien fiddled with his napkin. "Eiffel Tower."

"Okay. That's a location...not a plan. I'm going to need more than that if you want my help."

"I'm sorry, Alya. Right now, my heart is pounding so hard that it might pop out of my chest. I can't think straight. Plagg had to give me a pep talk before I left my apartment today. I just want everything to be perfect for her."

"Adrien, I want nothing more than to see Marinette happy, as well. However, you do realize that you could propose to her while standing in line at Chipotle and she would say yes. That girl has loved you since day one."

He raked his fingers through his hair and huffed. "You're right. But she's special, and I want her to know that."

Alya reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "And you already make her feel that way every day. You should hear how she talks about you when you're not around. The things you do for her...let's just say it makes us normal people look bad. It's hard to compete with Prince Charming sometimes." She shot him a sly smirk.

His eyes grew wide. "I never meant to make any of you feel that way. I'm so sorry."

The journalist laughed, causing Adrien to shoot her a confused look. "I was _kidding_. Goodness gracious, Sunshine. I know you're only being yourself, and you should never stop rocking who you are. Also, since when does the _punniest _cat in Paris not pick up on a joke? Doesn't Plagg mess with you all the time? You are off your game today. Then again, you are a tad oblivious sometimes."

Adrien hung his head. "Ugh...I think I'm a little on edge today. I'm super nervous. Sorry."

Alya leaned over and jokingly swatted at him. "Stop apologizing! Besides, I don't think us mere mortals should try to recreate the epic love saga of Ladybug and Chat Noir in our own lives. You and Marinette are next level when it comes to your relationship, and I honestly don't think I'd be able to handle that. I need my space, and sometimes I can get a little high strung. Nino is my perfect partner because he's chill and he understands my needs. He balances me out."

Adrien laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay! Okay! I get it. Thanks, Alya. I think I needed that."

"Anytime, Mr. Model. NOW...how are you going to propose? I need details stat!"

"Okay. When she and I are transformed, we love to hang out on the support beams of the Eiffel Tower. Since that's not exactly the best place to propose...because I would definitely drop the ring...I've rented out the top two floors."

Alya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Occasionally, it slips my mind just how rich you are. Then you say stuff like 'I rented out the top two floors of the Eiffel Tower', and it all comes flooding back to me. How did you even manage to pull that off?"

"I know the mayor."

"We _all _know the mayor. He used to show up at our school. He's a dinosaur who needs to stop running for office."

"Yes, but I am a multimillionaire who knows the mayor."

"Touché, Agreste."

Adrien crossed his arms. "You know, I'm not done telling you my plan."

Alya huffed playfully. "Of course, you're not."

"You see, instead of going back to my place to eat dinner, Nino will be taking Marinette to _Gabriel_'s flagship store where they will be outfitted into evening wear. You and I will also be dressing up for tonight's festivities. I have our clothes ready to go, and I've also arranged for stylists to work on our hair and make-up. At five o'clock tonight, we will be meeting our significant others at the Eiffel Tower, and from there we will make our way to the top. My father, Nathalie, and Marinette's parents will be waiting for us on the open-air level. I will then propose, and we will have the space to celebrate for the next few hours."

"It seems like you have everything planned out, but I'm surprised. No fireworks?"

He squinted at her. "You're messing with me again, right? My brain is too close to exploding to tell right now."

"Yes, Adrien. I'm kidding. Please don't get fireworks. Your plan sounds perfect, and Marinette will love it. However, five o'clock is eight hours from now. It's not going to take us that long to get ready, so what exactly are we doing until then?"

"We have a one o'clock appointment with the stylists at my father's house today. Until then, I was hoping that you would help me decorate the space for tonight. Marinette likes these things called 'fairy lights', and I have no idea what I'm doing with them. I took them out of the box, and I spent twenty minutes to untangling myself while Plagg cackled in the corner."

Alya laughed. "If you have enough money to rent out the upper decks of the Eiffel Tower, why don't you hire someone to decorate?"

Adrien looked wistfully into the distance. "Because this is one of the most important days of my life, and I didn't want to farm out the work to someone who doesn't care about what they're doing. It doesn't matter if it's not perfect. I want it to have a personal touch. Marinette would want that. I mean, look at her! She makes everything herself."

"True. Good answer, Sunshine, but is it really going to take us four hours to hang up fairy lights?"

"No, I have a few other decorations, too. Also, I wanted to get things done early so I can get in the zone."

"The zone?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'm probably going to need a few minutes to compose myself and not pass out before this all starts tonight."

"Oh my God, Adrien." Alya put her hand on her forehead and pushed back her hair with an exasperated sigh. "Come on. Let's go get you the girl."

* * *

Nino led Marinette down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. He was tight-lipped and silent, a far cry from his usual calm and collected demeanor. Marinette looked at him with concern.

"Hey," she started, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he responded brusquely.

"No, you're not. You and Adrien have the same 'I'm upset but am too stubborn to talk about it look'."

"It's nothing."

"Oh, no you don't!" Marinette grabbed Nino's arm, stopping him in his tracks. She let go and crossed her arms.

"Come on, Marinette. We have to go," he huffed.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong."

"That's a lie."

"Please. Just walk with me. We're going to be late."

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing right now? Do we have tickets or reservations or something?"

"No, but Adrien made this schedule. He told me that we had to stick…"

Marinette cut him off. "So, are you telling me that we don't have to be anywhere at this exact second? Yes or no?"

He sighed. "No, but.."

"Stop that! We are talking about what's bothering you NOW. Otherwise, we aren't going to have a good day, and I want to get to know you better today. You are cool and chill, and we never hung out enough growing up. So, please tell me what's wrong. I want to help."

"You know, when you say stuff like that, it always reminds me of why you got chosen to be Ladybug."

"Does that mean you're going to tell me what's bothering you?"

He threw his hands into the air in defeat. "Fine. Ugh."

Marinette pointed to a bench, and they both took a seat. "Alright, I'm waiting."

"Do you think Alya wishes I was more like Adrien?"

"Good, God, no! Where on Earth did you get an idea like that?"

"Earlier, she sounded way too excited to be hanging out with Adrien today, and then she kept going on and on about how chivalrous he is. I tried to play it off like a joke, but for some reason, it's really eating at me. Like...does she wish that she was the one who was dating a rom-com protagonist? Am I not doing a good enough job as a boyfriend?"

"Nino...no. You should hear how she talks about you when we're having girl time. She loves you so much. Alya has told me on multiple occasions that you're one of the only people on this planet who truly understands her. Then she goes on to make fun of how cheesy Adrien and I are all the time. She definitely doesn't want to have a relationship like mine. She loves you."

"But...should I be doing more?"

"You don't have to. You give her everything she wants and more."

"But...I think I want to do more," he said softly, turning his eyes towards the ground.

She placed an understanding hand on his arm. "Then go ahead and do it. There's nothing stopping you."

"Yes, there is...I don't know how to be all romantic and whatnot. All of this stuff seems to come naturally to Adrien. I can't figure out how he does it."

"That's only because he learned how to interact with the world from watching movies and anime. He thinks that the way people act on the screen is how they are supposed to act in real life. Remember, there was a time that Adrien Agreste was shut off from the world and had no friends. Underneath all of that lovey-dovey stuff, he is a socially awkward bean who still has difficulty in certain situations."

"Yeah, but he always manages to sweep you off your feet."

Marinette paused for a moment and scrunched her face. Her eyes grew wide as an idea flooded into her brain. She hopped off of the bench and held out her hand for Nino to take.

"Come on. I have an idea," she announced.

Nino shot her a skeptical look. "What is it?"

Marinette beamed triumphantly. "You just told me that we don't have any reservations right now. So, instead of whatever you and Adrien planned for us to do today, I am going to help you figure out a way to sweep my best friend off of her feet."

Panic flooded Nino's eyes. "Uhhh...I don't know, Marinette. Adrien wanted us to stick to the schedule, and it's kind of important to him. We should…"

She cut him off again. "Look, Adrien isn't here. Besides, he wants me to have fun, and this is what I want to do right now. Helping you surprise Alya sounds like the perfect way to spend our day. Come on...it'll be fun."

After a few seconds, Nino finally took her Marinette's hand and stood up from the bench. "Fine, but we actually do have an appointment at two o'clock. Adrien might be kind of angry if we missed it."

"I can work with that. I've had bigger time crunches before. If we are mindful of our time, we will have five full hours to come up with a game plan. Then, you can knock her socks off when we all meet for dinner."

"Alright. What did you have in mind?"

A grin that almost rivaled Chat Noir's spread across Marinette's face.

* * *

Alya shielded her face against the gale-force wind that threatened the tenacity of the decorations she and Adrien had put around the open-air deck at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Twinkling lights and crepe paper vigorously flapped against the violently moving air.

"Hey, Sunshine. That sky isn't looking too good. I think it's going to rain," she commented while looking into the distance.

Adrien groaned. "Ugh. Why does this kind of stuff always happen to me? Isn't Paris supposed to have a 'mild climate'? I know I'm the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous, but do I really have to carry around the bad luck that comes along with it?"

Plagg zipped over to his holder. "Hey, don't pin this on me, kid. I don't control the weather, and it's not like it's never rained in this city before. Also, Trixx and I have been on our best behavior this afternoon. She and I even hung up the banner."

Adrien reached out to scratch his Kwami behind the ears. "You're right, Plagg. I'm sorry. Thank you for all of your help. It's not fair to blame you for anything."

Trixx zipped over to the group. "What do you think Marinette would suggest if she were here? She always seems to have a plan."

Alya tapped her chin. "My girl would probably move all of this to the other deck. That way it doesn't get wet when it starts to rain."

"But that's going to take forever! We're almost done setting up here." Adrien slumped against the railing.

Alya shrugged. "It's either that or they all get destroyed. It's also getting a little too blustery up here for my taste. I'm guessing that you would like Marinette to actually be able to hear what you are saying when you propose."

He threw his head back and sighed. "You're right. I hope we don't run out of time."

"Don't worry, cat, we'll help you," Trixx said with a smile, "And as much as I want to freak out people by making them think it's raining flaming anchovies, I will continue to not do so."

Adrien gave the Fox Kwami a distressed look. "Umm...thank you? That sounds horrifying, so, yeah...maybe let's not talk about doing that again."

"Yeah, kid. Stop worrying. We all know how important this day is. With all of us working, we can do it." Plagg patted his chosen's cheek.

"That is uncharacteristically helpful of you, Plagg. Thank you for not just sitting in my bag eating cheese all day," Adrien responded.

"I wasn't kidding when I made that promise to help you. I'm not going to let you down. I am a Kwami of my word."

"Have I ever told you that you're the best?"

"I know that I am. Now, let's get moving before it starts to rain. I hate getting wet."

The holders and their Kwamis started taking down the decorations and placing them into the boxes. A crack of thunder sounded in the distance, causing Adrien to cringe.

"So much for a perfect proposal," Adrien scoffed.

Alya crossed her arms. "None of this extra stuff matters to Marinette, and you know that! She loves you no matter what. So what if there's a little rain? There's an indoor deck that has an equally beautiful view of the city as this one. Not to mention, you actually managed to book a private party at the top of the Eiffel Tower. You've done the impossible already. I can't think of anyone else who could pull something like this off. She's going to be excited no matter what happens."

He offered her a weak smile. "I know. Thanks, Alya. Marinette is extremely lucky to have a friend like you."

"You know, you're my friend, too, Adrien."

"Yeah, I do now. I'm having a good time working with you today."

"Me, too, Sunshine."

"Let's just hope that nothing else goes wrong today."

An explosion sounded below as Adrien completed his statement. Trixx and Plagg flew to their holder's sides while Adrien and Alya raced to the edge of the deck to scan the ground below.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Why today? Hawkmoth couldn't have kept quiet for one more day."

"There's no time to dwell on it right now. We need to transform." Alya looked at Trixx.

"You're right," Adrien turned to his Kwami, "PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!"

"TRIXX, LET'S POUNCE!"


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for continuing to read "The Best Friend Swap".

My current plan is for this fic to have one more chapter. Get ready for the big proposal!

I appreciate all of your lovely comments. Thank you so much for reading and being awesome! Comments are always appreciated.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Chat Noir touched down in the middle of an abandoned street along with Rena Rouge. The damage in the area was substantial, but it luckily was devoid of life. Seconds later, two more heroes joined the group.

"Fancy meeting you here, kitty," Ladybug commented teasingly, taking her place next to her partner.

"Hey, Bugaboo," he said flatly.

She threw her arms around him and rested her cheek against her chest. "Oh, no...I knew something was wrong. You should have said something before. Now there's an Akuma, and you're going to be distracted...and..."

Chat kissed the top of Ladybug's head. "Don't worry, my lady. I wasn't lying when I told you I was okay at the cafe this morning. Today has the potential to be a great day, it's just...I'm mad that Hawkmoth is getting in the way of that right now."

"Ahhh...so, does that mean you're ready to go kick some butt? Are you going to be extra focused so we can get back to our fun?"

"You know it, Bugaboo!"

"If you two lovebirds are finished, we have an Akuma to take care of," Rena Rouge crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side, "And from the looks of it, this one seems pretty intense."

"Yeah, dudes," Carapace began, "We might need more than just us for this one. Do we know who else is in town at the moment?"

"What's up, chicken butt!" a fifth voice added to the conversation.

Chat Noir unsheathed his baton. "Well, it looks like we've got Roi Singe."

"You bet, cat man," Roi responded, eliciting an eye roll from Chat, "I think Pegase and Viperion are on the way, as well."

"Just them?" Ladybug questioned.

Kim saluted the spotted heroine. "As far as I know, boss. I guess that's what happens when everyone grows up and moves away."

She beckoned the group over with a wave. "Okay, we can work with that. I don't know what the deal is with this Akuma, but we all need to watch each other's backs out there. Right now the plan is to drop in, observe, and regroup," she turned to look at Chat before completing her instructions, "And I would really like it if no one got blown up today."

"My lady," he placed a hand on his chest, "It has been months since I've perished in battle."

"And I don't want today to be the end of that streak, Chaton."

"We have Viperion today. He can give me a do-ver if I mess up. I'll be fine."

"It would be nice if you stayed safe in the first place." Her gaze returned to the rest of the heroes. "Let's go, team."

Ladybug was the first to zip off in the direction of the Akuma, and Chat followed closely behind her. The group landed in the fray of an already raging battle. Several explosions rocked the earth around them as the heroes who were already on the scene retreated from the Akuma's attacks.

"About time you guys showed up!" Viperion grunted, ducking away from a hurtling piece of debris, "I've been fighting him off by myself while Pegase got all the civilians out of the area. It's nice to see some friendly faces."

"Indeed," Pegase noted while rolling out of a self-made portal, "The statistical likelihood of our success has increased by 73.4 percent now that all of you have arrived."

"Uhh, I think that number might be closer to one hundred percent, my friend," Viperion responded, "It's not like we could have fixed anything without LB."

Ladybug ignored their banter. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I'm glad you could make it. Which one of you knows the deal with today's Akuma?"

Pegase stepped closer to Ladybug. "He calls himself Boomtown."

"Do we know his M.O.?"

"I think Hawkmoth told him that the world hates him, and the only way to make his life better is to level Paris and start anew. He has a pistol that makes whatever he shoots explode."

She squinted in the distance to get a better look at the Akuma. "Goodness, gracious. He even has a little cowboy hat. Did she make him watch old American westerns to make him crack?"

Chat sighed. His father had never been a particularly effective villain. During Gabriel's reign as Hawkmoth, he usually spent most of his time Akumatizing people with solvable problems. While they had dangerous powers that created sticky situations, these individuals made relatively ineffective Akumas. Gabriel was never able to achieve his goal because of his desperation, and it showed in the quality of his champions.

The new Hawkmoth was cunning. Unlike Gabriel, the current holder of the Butterfly Miraculous didn't take chances. She made it well known that she wanted to make sure that her victims had more than petty problems and flashes of anger. The method of Akumatization fancied by this Hawkmoth involved kidnapping people she deemed "emotionally susceptible" and torturing them until they were the perfect champions. Now, every time they fought an Akuma, it was not just a battle to save Paris, but a rescue mission.

"Do we know who it is?" Ladybug asked, breaking Chat out of his reverie.

"I think it's August," Vipereon responded.

She looked mournfully at the victim. "He's been missing for months. His family will be overjoyed to have him back."

"What's the plan, Bugaboo?" Chat placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're ready when you are."

"Right...LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug scrunched her face as a can of disinfectant spray fell into her hands.

She observed the Akuma from a distance as he demolished another building using the explosives from his pistol. Ladybug watched him recoil from the smoke and debris before firing again.

"Boomtown doesn't appear to like the smoke," Ladybug declared, "It must be an automatic reaction from whatever Hawkmoth did to him before turning him into an Akuma. Her methods always create some sort of weakness that can be exploited...and it's a good thing that this one was pretty easy to see. They're usually not. She got sloppy this time."

"Okay, but how are we supposed to use that to stop him?" Chat pointed to the disinfectant spray in her hands. "Because I'm pretty sure that's tougher on grime than it is on crime."

"I know what to do, but I'm not sure where we're going to find the resources to do it." Ladybug turned to Viperion. "If only your girlfriend wasn't still out of town. Her powers would come in handy right now."

"I was actually on my way to pick her up from the station when the Akuma hit." He crossed his arms in frustration.

She huffed and looked around. "I need Roi and Viperion to distract Boomtown while Pegase takes me to that decimated apartment complex over there so I can find something to start a fire. Once I do that, I'm going to make a lot of smoke, and that should make the Akuma hesitate. Carapace, I'm going to need you to get Chat in there so he can Cataclysm the Akumatized object before Boomtown starts shooting again. Rena, I'm going to need you to make a duplicate of August so we can get the real him out of here in case one of Hawkmoth's lackeys tries to take him away again. There will still be a lot of smoke before I call for the Miraculous Cure. Pegase, I'm going to need you to get him to safety while using the smoke as a cover. Call me once the ladybugs have fixed everything, and I'll come find you. We cannot lose this victim. Understood?"

A chorus of affirmations came from the group when a soft thud sounded behind them. The heroes turned their heads towards the newcomer.

Ryuko crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. "That's a pretty solid plan, Ladybug. I guess you don't need me then. Too, bad. I was looking forward to having some fun today."

Viperion chuckled and moved to her side. He placed a gentle peck on her cheek. "Sorry I was late picking you up, my love."

"That's okay. When the Akuma alert went off, the train shut down. So, I transformed in one of the bathrooms and blew the door off of the cabin."

"You never cease to amaze me, my beautiful dragon."

With a sigh of relief, Ladybug put her hand on Ryuko's shoulder. "Thank God you're here. Your powers will be much more effective than searching for something to make a fire."

"What did you have in mind?" the Dragon Miraculous holder questioned.

Ladybug tossed Ryuko the can of disinfectant and looked in the direction of a small gathering of trees that remained untouched amidst the destruction. "I heard that leaves make a lot of smoke when you burn them."

Ryuko grinned. "Say no more."

In a single bound, she vaulted off the ground and went to work. The rest of the heroes assumed their places and started on the tasks given to them by Ladybug.

Chat turned to his best friend while he waited for his cue. "Has Marinette been having a good day so far? The only reason I ask is because we've been having a bit of trouble at the Eiffel Tower."

"No, dude." Carapace waved his hand dismissively. "We've been having a great time, but I gotta tell you...Marinette totally took over the day. She scrapped your plans, but I told her that we had an appointment at two. Don't worry...I'll make sure she gets all dressed up, and I will get her to the Eiffel Tower on time."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me, but if you haven't been following the schedule, what have you two been doing all day?"

"Well, it's a little embarrassing, but we…"

A blast of fire cut him off before he was able to respond. The two heroes watched as Ryuko used turned her arm to into a pillar of flames and turned the can of disinfectant into a blowtorch that she directed towards the previously unharmed trees. Ladybug, Roi, and Viperion had successfully lured Boomtown over to the foliage before Ryuko set them ablaze.

As smoke began to fill the air, Carapace called for his Shell-ter. He and Chat ran through the smoke and found Boomtown on his knees. The Akuma victim had shut his eyes and covered his ears with his hands. His pistol had been thrown several feet away from him. He looked terrified.

Carapace made an opening in the Shell-ter large enough for Chat to reach out and grab the Akumatized item. The opening quickly closed before too much smoke poured into the tiny space.

Chat called for his Cataclysm, and the object turned to dust in his hands. He then used his baton to call Pagase to pick up a now sobbing August. In a matter of minutes, magical Ladybugs swirled around them, and the smoke cloud disappeared. Carapace released his Shell-ter, and Ladybug raced over to them. Ryuko, Viperion, Rena, and Roi followed closely behind.

"Hey, kitty." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, "I see you're still in one piece."

"Yup," he responded, "and I didn't even need Viperion's Second Chance today."

She let go of Chat and turned to Carapace. "Thanks for keeping him safe. He's been a little out of it today."

"Believe me, you don't know the half of it," the green-clad hero chuckled.

Chat hit him on the arm while Ladybug shot them a confused look. As she opened her mouth to speak again, a notification came in on her yoyo.

The spotted heroine tapped the screen. "It's Pegase. He just gave me their location. He and August are with the other civilians that he evacuated before the Akuma destroyed everything. They're over by the Eiffel Tower. Let's go get them."

Rena reached out and grabbed Ladybug's arm. "Wait, girl. How about you go back to spending time with Carapace. You always stay to clean up the mess after attacks. Let us do it for a change."

She clutched her yoyo close to her chest. "I can't just leave you. We all have to finish the job."

"No, we can handle it." Rena turned to her boyfriend. "Right, babe? You should take her back to whatever you were doing."

Carapace looked at Ladybug. "Please don't make me argue with her."

Chat placed his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders and pulled her towards him. He placed a light feathery kiss on her forehead that caused her eyes to flutter shut.

"We've got this, my lady. Besides, it will give me more time to get to know your best friend," he purred into her ear.

"Are you sure?" she whispered back.

"I'm positive."

"I guess I'll see you in a little bit then.

"I'll be counting down the minutes, Bugaboo."

Chat waved goodbye as Ladybug and Carapace zipped away on her yoyo. Rena turned to the remaining heroes and grinned.

"Okay," Ryuko began, "That was weird. What's going on?"

"Alright, now that they're gone, we need your help with something," she announced.

"Well, yeah," Roi responded, "You want us to help get the civilians back right?"

"No, that's not it." Viperion shook his head. "There's more to the story. What exactly are you two up to right now?"

Chat looked at the group. "We do need assistance with getting August and the civilians back to their rightful places, but after that, I'm going to need help with something that's on a slightly more...personal level."

Rena used her thumb to point at the leather-clad hero. "Our own Mr. Sunshine here is planning to propose tonight, and we need help moving around some decorations at the top of the Eiffel Tower before it starts to rain."

Ryuko's stoic expression cracked into a genuine smile. "My two friends are getting married?"

"Only if she says yes," Chat noted.

"Goodness gracious...I told you to stop with that nonsense," Rena chastised, "She's going to say yes. You two are Ladybug and Chat Noir for crying out loud!"

"Congratulations," Viperion added, "However, I have to ask...did you say that the decorations were at the top of the Eiffel Tower? Aren't there other people up there?"

Rena shook her head. "Nope. He rented the space for the night."

"Holy...how much did that cost?"

"Trust, me. I've already called him out for that one earlier."

Ryuko crossed her arms. "Money doesn't matter when you truly love someone."

Rena laughed. "Sorry, but not all of us are part of the trust fund club. We can't just wave our credit cards in the air like magic wands and make things happen."

Viperion turned to his girlfriend. "I hate to break it to you, my love, but when I propose, it will not be on top of the Eiffel Tower."

Ryuko gasped and threw her arms around him. "Wait...you're planning to propose?"

He chuckled nervously. "Uhhh...I love you?"

A portal opened up next to the group, effectively ending the conversation.

Pegase poked out his head. "What's taking you guys so long?"

Rena moved next to the portal. "As much as I would _love _to keep talking about this, we're going to have to unpack that slip of the tongue at a later date. Right now, we only have two hours to fix up the decorations and get Chat cleaned up for tonight. Who's with me?"

She leaped into the portal, and the rest of the heroes followed.

"_This might just work out after all_," Chat thought to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for continuing to read "The Best Friend Swap".

I hope you enjoy the last chapter! Right now, I am thinking of possibly writing a one-shot about their wedding...but we shall see. Let me know if that is something you would be interested in reading!

I appreciate all of your lovely comments. Thank you so much for reading and being awesome! Comments are always appreciated.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

The remaining heroes worked diligently to return the relocated citizens to their respective places. When August was reunited with his family, Chat breathed a sigh of relief. It was always rewarding to liberate one of Hawkmoth's tortured victims. He knew that each Parisian lived in a state of distress. It was paramount for the Miraculous holders to assuage the fears of people lest there be more individuals captured by one of Hawkmoth's lackeys.

However, fear does not subside simply because one is given a Miraculous; instead, fear tends to increase ten-fold when you're given the power to make a difference. Like the rest of the holders, Chat constantly felt the pressure that came with the responsibility of protecting the city, and he knew that there were times that Ladybug was nearly crushed by her sense of duty. For this reason, he wanted to protect her...to be the partner that she needed in battle.

True, he didn't always do what she wanted. Chat still tended to be a little sacrificial at times, but he couldn't help himself. It was his job as the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous. Nonetheless, he trusted his lady with his life, and he would do anything for her. Marrying her would give him the chance to do the same outside of the mask. That's why tonight needed to be perfect. He knew that she loved him no matter what, but he wanted this to be the best night of her life.

Unfortunately, the rain started while the heroes were still helping the citizens return to their homes. As a result, some of the decorations had gotten wet by the time the group arrived at the monument.

"If only the Miraculous Cure could work on stuff like this," Adrien mumbled to himself.

Plagg peeked out from behind his holder's shirt collar. "And that's what Tikki and I were trying to teach you with the Atlantis story."

"Please don't bring that up ever again."

"Fine, but the Miraculous Cure still won't solve all of your problems."

"Yes, but I don't need the Miraculous Cure to make my life better. Sometimes it would be convenient...like being able to fix the soggy decorations. However, I have a wonderful group of people who will help and support me. Together, we can figure it out. After all, Marinette always says that there's a solution to every problem."

"And that's the real lesson here, kid," the Kwami declared, "You don't have to go through anything on your own. These people will always be there for you...just like Marinette...and me."

"I love you, too, Plagg," Adrien chuckled, "Now, let's get to work!"

He and the rest of the team worked unceasingly to decorate the indoor deck at the top of the Eiffel Tower. After several hours, he watched Kagami take a step backward as he and Luka hung the banner across a beam.

"How does it look?" Adrien asked with a strained voice, holding the banner above his head.

After taking a moment to assess their work, she nodded. "Luka needs to raise his side a little, but otherwise it's fine."

Adrien secured his half to the beam and allowed his arms to flop to his sides. He released a heavy sigh and surveyed the space around him.

"This place looks incredible, everyone." he announced to the room full of Miraculous holders, "I can't thank you enough for your help. I would not have been able to do this without each of you."

Luka patted Adrien on the shoulder. "Anytime, friend. We're not just superheroes who work together, we're a family...and family members always help each other out."

Adrien paused before continuing. "You know what? You're right. We are a family, and I would be honored if all of you would celebrate with us tonight."

Kim walked over and slung his arm around Adrien's shoulders. "You can count me in! We've been watching you two drool over each other for years, and I know I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

The rest of the holders nodded in agreement.

Alya cleared her throat. "As wonderful as this tender moment is to watch, Adrien and I have fifteen minutes to get to his father's house."

Adrien pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen to see the time. "Jeez, she's right. We have to go, but I hope you'll all be here later. Once again, thank you."

The Ladyblogger grabbed the model's arm and dragged him to the elevator before he could say anything else. He toyed with the ring's box in his pocket and breathed away another bout of nervousness.

"_It's almost time_," he thought to himself.

* * *

Nino checked the clock on his phone for the thirteenth time. "Marinette, we have to leave right now if we're going to make our two o'clock appointment."

Marinette grabbed a few more daffodils to shove into the bouquet she was helping him to construct. "Oh, calm down! We lost a little bit of time with the Akuma attack, but I think what we're doing now is a little bit more important than whatever Adrien has planned for us to do."

"No, it's not. He will not be happy if we miss this."

"Okay! Okay! What exactly does my boyfriend have us doing together?"

"Uhhhh….you'll see."

Marinette giggled. "Fine. Keep your secrets."

Nino tapped his foot on the ground and released a shaky breath. "We have to go."

She gently turned the flowers in her hands and observed her handiwork. She felt satisfied with the fullness of the brightly colored bouquet of daffodils and daisies.

Marinette finally turned to Nino and shook her head. "It's ready. I just hope she likes it."

The nervous DJ grabbed the flowers from her hand, rushed up to the counter, and pulled out his wallet. "It's beautiful, and she'll love it...but we have to go _right now_."

Seconds after the cashier handed Nino his change, he took Marinette's hand and dragged her out of the flower shop. To her surprise, one of the Agreste family cars was waiting for them by the curb.

"Why did Adrien send us a car?" she questioned, "We didn't follow the schedule at all. How did he know where to send it?"

"I told him where we were." Nino opened the door and pulled her inside the car.

"Where are we going? Why do we need to go by car?"

"Look, he didn't want us to get wet in the rain. _Please _stop asking questions that I'm not allowed to answer. Just go with the flow."

"What do you mean you're not allowed to answer?"

"_Marinette_!" he groaned.

She crossed her arms and playfully rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever he has planned, let's hope that he hasn't gone overboard."

Nino turned his head and mumbled. "It's too late for that."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

"Why is everyone so weird today?"

Hoping for a response, Marinette looked at Nino, but he continued to look out the window at the passing scenery. She slumped in her seat and released a huff.

"Do you remember the plan?" she said, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

The DJ whipped his head around and bit his lip. "What plan are you talking about?"

Marinette knitted her brows. "We only talked about one plan. OH! Are you talking about Adrien's plan for tonight?"

"NO!" He waved his hands wildly.

She chuckled. "Don't worry. I literally have no clue what's going on. I promise that I haven't figured anything out. I should have known that my boyfriend would have something up his sleeve. He always does stuff like this. No, I'm talking about your plan for Alya."

Nino breathed a sigh of relief. "Got it. _That _plan. Yes, I remember."

"I'm just excited that they still had space available for that moonlit cruise on the Seine tomorrow night."

"Me, too. I also can't believe that you were able to talk to the owner and convince him to let me play a song for her."

"If we're being honest, working for one Agreste and dating another one has its perks. I've made a lot of connections. I can't even imagine having a last name that powerful."

"Well, you should." Nino clapped his hands over his mouth the moment the words escaped his lips. "I mean...uhm…one day you're going to be a super famous designer right? You'll be a household name. Yup...it has nothing to do with being an Agreste...psh...like...could you imagine?"

"Wow...you are not good under pressure, are you? Adrien must have something big planned."

"I am not at liberty to say,"

"So...it is something big...isn't it?"

"You know what? I'm just going to stop talking now."

Marinette rolled her eyes and rested her head against the window. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass and allowed her mind to wander. She felt the faint sensation of anticipation bubbling in her gut, and while she didn't know why, the feeling put a smile on her face. Anything her wonderful, dorky boyfriend did made her smile (except when he put himself in harm's way during battle). She loved him more than anything, and she looked forward to their "happily ever after". Sure, she and Adrien had talked about marriage before, but they never made any solid plans.

"_Maybe I'll have to start dropping some hints_," she thought, "_Perhaps I'll have Alya help me with that_."

For now, she was content with where they were. Over the years, they had grown significantly as individuals and as a couple. At the beginning of their relationship, it broke her heart to see Adrien so desperate for love. She can still see the fear in his eyes every time they had quibbled over something small. Even more so, she remembers all the times he had lapsed into a panic attack when they argued over a bigger issue. Eventually, he began to believe that there was nothing that would make her stop loving him.

She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Just as the moon moves the oceans, she was caught in the gravity created by his love. Adrien was magnetic, and she happily stayed by his side. Marinette knew that she would love him for the rest of her life, and she was glad that he finally knew that, as well.

The car came to a stop, and the change in movement broke Marinette out of her lovesick reverie. She laughed upon seeing their destination.

"Why on earth are we at the _Gabriel_ flagship store?" she began, "Adrien knows this is my day off, right?"

Nino grunted in frustration. "You know I can't answer any of your questions! _Please_ just come with me."

"Oh, alright."

"Thank you!"

They both exited the vehicle and made their way into the building. Once inside, they were greeted by several friendly associates and a very exuberant stylist.

"Good afternoon, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng," the man said with a smile, "Please come with me so we can get your hair and make-up done before we help you put on your dress."

"Dress?" she asked, looking back at Nino.

"Why yes!" the stylist exclaimed, "Monsieur Agreste was very specific about tonight's look."

With a flourish, the man grabbed a garment bag off of the rack. He then carefully unzipped it, revealing its contents.

Marinette gasped. "Oh, kitty. What on earth do you have planned for us tonight?"

* * *

Luckily, the rain stopped just as Adrien and Alya finished with the stylists. They stood next to the road waiting for Marinette and Nino to arrive.

Alya had picked out a black knee-length cocktail dress with lace sleeves and intricate beading on the bodice. Adrien wore a black tailored suit with a deep red tie.

He knew that he looked ready for tonight, but he was beginning to question whether or not he _felt _ready for tonight. Adrien wanted to do this, but he was afraid that his words would fail him when the time came...and that he would wind up screaming the question and throwing the ring box at Marinette. (That was only one of many scenarios that were running through his mind.)

Adrien paced back and forth in front of the curb. He fiddled with his cufflinks in an attempt to keep his hands out of his styled hair. He swallowed and released a shaky breath.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Adrien turned to see Alya shaking her head with a smirk on her face.

"You are going to put a hole in the ground if you don't stop," she teased.

Plagg plopped down on Adrien's shoulder. "Yeah, kid. Making holes in the ground is my job. Right now, your job is to stand here and look pretty until your lady love arrives. Got it?"

Trixx popped her head out of Alya's hair. "Aren't you a model? Standing still really shouldn't be a problem for you."

Adrien threw his head back and groaned. "I know! I know! I'm just so nervous. Like, my tongue feels kind of fuzzy, and I'm suddenly aware of the fact that I can't feel my earlobes."

"That's...different," Alya turned to Plagg, "I think he's broken."

"It wouldn't be the first time." The Kwami flew in front of his holder's face and poked Adrien's nose with his paw. "Do you remember the time you finally worked up the courage to ask out Marinette on a date?"

"Yeah, I couldn't feel my elbows that time," Adrien's eyes grew wide, "OHMYGOD, PLAGG! IT'S SPREADING!"

Plagg growled, "No, kid, it's not. Think...what I did to snap you out of it last time?"

"Ummm, you bit…" Adrien's hands flew to his ears, "_Do not _bite my ears, Plagg. Your teeth leave marks, and we have a photographer here tonight."

"I will not hesitate to take matters into my own hands if you start spiraling again. Understood?"

"Ugh...yeah."

Trixx giggled. "Do you remember the time you bit that soldier in that little American town...what was it called again?"

Plagg sighed wistfully. "You're thinking of Concord, Massachusetts. Now THAT was a fun time."

"Do you even know who you bit?"

"Nope. I do know that it spooked the guy so much that it caused him to fire his musket. Ahhh...the chaos that erupted after that was truly beautiful."

"Wait a minute...I remember reading about that town in World History one time." Alya feverishly typed on her phone. "Aha! Here it is...blah blah blah...shot heard around the world...yadda yadda...hold on...Plagg, did you start the American Revolution?"

Adrien turned to her with a deadpan expression. "He also sunk Atlantis."

"What? _How_?"

"God, no. Please don't ask for details."

Plagg crossed his arms. "Hey! First of all, I didn't bring it up this time...you did! I kept my promise. Second, Tikki was part of the whole Atlantis thing. You can't pin it all on me."

"Yes, but Tikki was not the one who Cataclysmed the support beams," Adrien noted.

Plagg squinted. "Okay, that's technically true."

"Hey, you two," Alya chimed in, "Shut up! I think Marinette and Nino just pulled up."

Adrien could feel his heartbeat throughout his body. He swallowed hard, but it didn't help. When Marinette stepped out of the car, he lost the ability to breathe. He knew she would look good in the dress when he picked it out for her, but he didn't know that she would look this resplendent.

She wore a deep red evening gown with an asymmetrical skirt. The bodice clung perfectly to her form while thick sleeves draped off her shoulders. Her hair was fashioned into a cascade of raven curls, and a delicate silver chain sporting a diamond pendant rested on her neck.

They locked eyes. She smiled, ran over to him, and pulled him into a hug. "Hey, kitty. You sure do clean up well."

He rested his cheek on her hair. "I know I call you "Princess", but tonight you look like actual royalty."

"Does that make you my Prince Charming?"

"Maybe...or perhaps I'm just a lowly knight looking to sweep his lady off her feet."

"Why can't you be both?"

"I will be whatever you want me to be, Bugaboo."

She pressed her nose against his. "I think I'd be content if you were the love of my life."

"Done." Adrien leaned in and placed a gentle peck on her lips, eliciting a giggle from Marinette.

"If you two lovebirds are quite finished," Alya interrupted, "I think we have a dinner reservation to keep."

"Here?" Marinette asked, "At the Eiffel Tower? WAIT...are we finally eating in the _58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant_!? Did you get us a table overlooking the Trocadero? I've always wanted to do that."

Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "Ummm...not exactly, but it's something like that. Follow me and you'll find out."

He reached for her hand, but she pulled away and turned towards the car. "Hold on! Before we do anything else, Nino has something to say! Come on out, Nino!"

The dapper-looking DJ stepped out of the vehicle holding the massive bouquet of daisies and daffodils in one hand and a silver envelope in the other. He walked over to Alya and chuckled nervously.

"Hey, babe." He thrust the bouquet and the envelope into Alya's arms. "These are for you!"

The Ladyblogger cradled the flowers and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "My silly, boy. What have you been up to today?"

"There's more, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow." He looked at the ground while he spoke.

"Is this what you've been doing instead of the scheduled activities?" Adrien asked while still holding Marinette.

She grinned. "Nino wanted to do something romantic for Alya, so I decided to help him. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all, Princess. It's very sweet. You're always thinking about others. That's one of the reasons I love you so much."

"Good...because he was hoping to sweep her off her feet like you are currently doing for me right now."

Alya put a hand on Nino's cheek. "Consider me successfully swept, wonderful you."

"Really?" Nino leaned into her touch.

She placed a lingering kiss on his lips. "Yes."

Adrien looked at the group. "Shall we continue this conversation over dinner? I'm really interested to hear about everything you two did today."

"Of course, kitty. Lead the way!" Marinette giggled.

The group walked towards the Parisian monument and boarded the first elevator. Marinette was shocked when Adrien led her to the second elevator that would take them to the top of the tower. When they arrived at the indoor deck, they were greeted by a room full of family and friends.

Marinette turned to Adrien. "What have you done, _minou_? What are all of these people doing here?"

He smiled. "They're here to celebrate us."

Adrien stepped closer to Marinette and took her hands in his own. She emitted a small gasp as he got on one knee and looked up at her.

"Princess," he began with a twinkle in his eye, "when my life fell apart five years ago, I didn't know if I would ever be able to recover, but you never left my side. Through my darkest days, you were a beacon of light. I have loved you since the day I met you, but your patience and understanding made me fall even more in love with you. Unfortunately, you and I live in a world of uncertainty. We never know when the next threat will come our way, and we will never know what tomorrow brings. There are so many things that we will never know. However, the one thing I do know is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He released her hands and pulled the ring out of his pocket. As he opened the box, Marinette covered her mouth and suppressed a happy sob.

"Marinette," he took a deep breath, "will you marry me?"

She nearly tackled him to the ground as she fell to her knees and yanked him into a tight embrace. "Yes! Yes! A million times, yes!"

He laughed and lifted Marinette to her feet and slipped the ring onto her finger. She grabbed his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss.

The room erupted into cheers and applause. Adrien could almost hear the fireworks going off inside him.

He pulled away from Marinette and looked out the window. "_No, those are actual fireworks_," he thought to himself.

Alya leaned over and whispered in Adrien's ear. "I thought you said there weren't going to be any pyrotechnics tonight."

"I did," he mumbled, "I don't know where they came from."

Trixx poked out of Alya's hair. "That was me! I remember you talking about them this morning, and I thought you might like them! They're not real, but they sure look like they are!"

Alya nuzzled her Kwami. "Awww, you're the best."

Marinette turned towards Nino. "You knew everything, didn't you?"

Nino chuckled. "Yeah, I was doing my best to keep my cool, but I messed up a few times."

She pulled him into a crushing hug and then turned to her best friend. "Thank you both for helping to make this night so special."

Alya embraced Marinette. "Anything for you, girl, but I have to be honest. It wasn't just us who helped out with tonight. Everyone in this room had a hand in this."

Adrien nodded. "It's true. The other Miraculous holders helped with the decorations. My dad and Nathalie made sure our outfits were ready, and your parents made a cake."

Nino's eyes lit up. "Yes! The Dupain-Chengs made a cake. We _have _to go eat some of that."

Alya rolled her eyes, grabbed her boyfriend's hand, and started to drag him away. "Come on. Let's go mingle."

Marinette turned to her fiancé and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And thank you, kitty...for making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

He rested his forehead against hers. "No, thank you for always being there for me."

"Now, we get to be there for each other forever."

"Forever...I like the sound of that."

She beamed. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Adrien Agreste"

He leaned in and gave her another kiss on the lips. "I love you, too, Marinette Dupain-Cheng...today, tomorrow, and always."


End file.
